Pill counting and dispensing machine



Jul 17, 1928.

R. K. CLAUSS PILL COUNTING AND DISPENSING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. H. II. 67am.

July 17, 1928. 1,677,546

R. K. CLAUSS PILL coumue AND DISPENSI'NG ncnxpm Filed Ju ly 28, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 H. H ['Zausa.

R 'KJ'C LAUSS PILL COUNTING AND DISPENSING MACHINE July 17, 1928.

Filed July 28, 1927 s Shets-Sheet 3 INVENTOIR. If. If. (Ila uas vertical plane indicate'dby, the line 77-7-7 L looking from Patented July 17, 1928.

ROBERT KLOTZCLAUSS, or LEmeH'romf PENNSYLVANIA.

' PILL COUNTINGJKND DISPENSING MACHINE.

Application filed July 28,

This inventionrelates to dispensing ma-;

chines, and hasv for one of its objects .to

provide a novel, simple and highly efli-,

cient machine of this character through the medium of which the desired or required" number of pills may be, readily placed n end or the container-9 and is of angular forboxes, envelopes, sacks or the like.

\Viththe foregoing. and other ob ects in view, the nature of which will. appear as,

the description proceeds,

sists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully de'-- scribedland claimed, andillustrated: in the. accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a iew in front-elevation. of the machine, p p

Figure2 is a-view in side elevation of .the machine,

Figure 3 is a .view similar. to Figure 2' the oppositeside of the machine, v 1

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated by the l1ne,4:.4l ofFigurel, 1- Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on'the horizontal planes indicated,by tl1e line 5-5 ofFigure1,. Figure Gis a sectional -v1e2w-takenuon.the' horizontal plane indicatedby the l1ne66 ofFigure1,'-' 0 .j m.

Figure? is a sectional view taken 'on the.

Figure; 8 is'a. sectionali VleW, taken on the vertical plane indicatedbyitheline 8-8 of Figure 1, 1 a

Figure 9 is an elevat onal vl'ewof one of thespouts of the machine, and

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated by the lme 10:

- 10 of Figure 1.

The machine comprises a base 1 which may be mounted upon 'a,.counter, tablev or other suitable support. A, standard 2 is secured to and upon the base-1 by means of a ,foot plate 3, and it is. provided at its upper endfwith. a socket 4;. A horizontal bracket-5 is secured to. the upper end'of the standard 2 through tliemedium of a stem 6 extending downwardly from such end thereof and fitting in the socket 1Tand" a 7 set screw 7 carried by the standard and engaging the stem. The bracket axisprovided at its other or outer end with a split. ring. 8 within which is securedthe lower end of a glass container or reservoir9 for the pills.

the invention con-' i.

1927. SerialNo. 209,045..v

The ring'S isadapted to be contracted by a screw 10 in order to secure the container 9 thereto. The container 9 is provided, .at'

its upper end withfa filling opening which is closed f by;;a cap. 11. downwardly front the lower or discharge 13 is provided at one end with a collar lti' A- tube 12 extends which is applied tothestandard 2 and is provided with a set screw 17 engaging the standard. The other end of the bracket 13.

is provided with a split ring 18 which e1n-. braces the tube 12 and is adapted to be contracted by a bolt 19 in order to secure the The tube 12, has its lower or.

tube therein. discharge end positioned in an opening 20 formedin the arm 14,, and it is provided adjacent. its upper end with a cut-off valve 21 whichis pivotally mounted as shown, at 22; and provided with a handle 23.

A vertically disposed measuring or counting tube 24 has its upper end secured in the opening of, the arm-14 by means of a set screw '25. The. upper or intake end of the tube 24: communicates ,with the discharge end of the tube 12, and .a spout 26 of angular formation inplan communicates with and" extends downwardly, from the lower or:dis-

. charge endof the tube 24. The spout 26 is to be used whenthepillsareto be packed.

in envelopes, sacks and the.like.- When the pills are to be packed inboxes, the spout 27 shown in Figure 9 is used. The spoutused has" itsiupper end secured in the sleeve 28 of-an' arm29. The lower'end of the tube.

24 is'positioned in thesleeve 28, andthe. spoutls-sec'ured tothe'sleeve by a set screw ,It will be u'nderstoodthat, when the valve 2lgis opened, the pills will pass from the container. am the envelopes, sacks or boxes by way of thejtubes 12 and 24 and the spout 26 or 27.' ,Means are provided'for dispens ing a predeterminednumber of pills at each operation of the machine. This means is associated with the tube 24 and comprises a lower cut-ioff 'valve- 31 and an upper cutoff valve 32 which are carried by a vertical shaft 33 and so angula-rly related that when one is in closed position the other is in opened position. The shaft- 33 is journaled at its loweriendin a bearing 34 carried'by Ill) the base 1 and at its upper end in a bearing carried by the arm 14. A third bearing 36 for the shaft 33 carries the arm 29 and is mounted upona sub-base 37 which 1s supported from the base 1 by uprights 38. The valve 31 is of elongated formation and is secured at one end to the shaft 33 by a collar 39 which is provided with'a handle 40. The other or free end of the valve 31 moves into and out of a liorizonta'l slot 41 formed in the front'side ot-the tube 24 and this movement thereof takes placeduring-the travel of the valve from its closed to its opened position, the valve being shown in closed position in Figures 1 and 5. The

valve 32 isalso of elongated formation-and horizontally disposed and one end thereof is connected to the shaft 33 for rotation therewith and for vertical adjustment with respect thereto. The other or free end of the valve 32 is "of angular formation, as shown at 42 and moves into and out of a vertical slot 43 formed in the-rear side of the tube 24. This movement of theend 42 of the valve 32 takes place during the movement of the valve-from oneof its positions to'th-e otherythe valvebeing shown in opened positionin Figure 4. The valves'31 and'32 are adapted to be operated through the mediumof-a handle which is first moved to cause the valve 31 to occupy its closed position and to'causethevalve 32tooccupy its opened position. The handle 40 is thereafter opera-ted to cause the valve 31 to assume its opened position-and to cause the valve '32 toassume itsclosed position, with the result that the desirednumber ofpil'ls will be fed to the spout =26 or'27.

If desired, the valves 31 *and may be :operated by the foot. The means fo'r permitting this operation of the valves comprises a disk 44 which is fixed to the-shaft 33 at a point below the sub-base '37, an angle lever '45pivoted as at 46 to'the base-'l and a link '47 connected to the lever '45. This meansfialso comprisesa pedal '48 which is pivoted below the basel 'asat 49, and :a'link 50 which is adjustable as to length and con nected to the lever 45 "ancl*tl1-e=pedal48. A pin 51 "which is carriedEby the-base 1 and enters an arcuate notch 52 in the disk 44, limits the movement of the shaft 33 when it is operated by the-handle 40 or the pedzil 48. A spring 53 which issecured to'the base 1 and disk 44 andis tensioned when theshaft 3-3is operated by either the handle 40 or the pedal 4-8,"functions to-normally maintain the valve 31inclosed and the valve 32 in opened position.

A sleeve 54 is slidably mounted on the guide rod 15. A horizontal-arm 55 is secured at one end to the sleeve-54 and is .provided near its other end with a vertical open ing 56 for the reception of the shaft 33 and with ahorizontal slot 57forthe-reception of that end of the valve 32 connected to the shaft. As thesleeve 54 is adjustable vertically onthe guide rod 15, the valve 32 may be adjusted vertically with respect to the valve 31 so that the number of pills dis pensed'at-each'operation of the machine may 60which travels in a vertical slot 61 formed" in theguide rod 15 and iscarried by ashaft 62 which is slidably mounted-within the oasing 58. Spaced bearings 63 are provided for the shaft 62, anda spring 64 1positioned between one of the bearings and a :pin 65 carried by the shaft serves to hold the shoe 60 in such frictionallcontact with the guide rod 15as'to prevent casual downward movement of the-sleeve 54. :A-le'verfGG pivoted as at 67 and: connected to the Sl1a1t 62, pi O vides means by which the shoe- 60 may be withdrawn from contact with? the guide and 15 when it is desired to raise or lowerthe sleeve 54 on thei'guide rod and thus =eiiect the adjustment of the valve 32 with to the valve 31. The guide rod 15 issecured totheb'ase 1by a'flanged foot 68.

The "front side: oftheitube 24. is graduated as shown at 69, and a pointer 70 cooperating with f the graduations is carried-bythe arm-55. The gradu ations 69 and the pointer 70 enable the operator to readilyiadjust'the valve 32with respectto the valve 31 to. adapt the machine to feed at eaeh operationtthereof the required number of pills. :Toelfeet the adjustment of the valve "32, his only necessary i to release the :sleeve 54 by retractrespect ing the shoe 60 through the medium ofthe lever 66, then raise or lower the Isleeve through the mediumof the handle 59, and thereafter release the shoe so as to secure the valve '32 in adjusted position. To operate the machine, it -i's=-'e-nly"necessary tode press l the pedal 48 or'swing the "lever 40 t0 the right. This will s'win'gthe valve 32 into closed position and the valve 31 into opened positi'o'n Y and the desired or required number of 'pi'l-ls-wi ll pass 'to the-envelope, the sack or the box. Wheiirthe pedal 48 5f the lever 40 is released, the spring 53 will swing the valve 32 into ope ne'd position andthe valve 31 into elos'ed position, so 'that when the machine is again" operated the same number of pills will be fed to the envelope, the sack or the box.

It should be understood that=the=draw i-ngs are merely illustrativea and do 'inotspr e- V tend to give 'ex act proportions. vFurther-m more, the-said drawings are' illustrative 'olt a preferred oonstruction,- itbeing my expectation that various changes andmodificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:-

1. A machine of thev character set forth, comprising a container, a tube communicating with the container, cut-ofl valves associated with the tube, a guide rod, a sleeve slidably mounted on the guide rod, means carried by the sleeve and cooperating with the guide rod to hold the sleeve against casual movement thereon, an arm carried'by the sleeve and carrying one of said valves, the valves being arranged so as to permit one to be moved to closed and the other into opened position, and valve operating means.

2. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a container, a tube communicating with the container and provided with a transverse and a longitudinal slot, a shaft, a cut-off valve carried by the shaft for movement into and out of the transverse slot, a guide rod, a sleeve slidably mounted on the guide rod, means carried by the sleeve and cooperating with the guide rod to secure the former against casual movement, an arm secured to the sleeve and provided with an opening for. the slidable reception of the shaft and with an opening at an angle to said first opening, a second valve fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith and sliding movement thereon and adapted to move into and out ofthe longitudinal slot, the valve passing through the second opening of the arm, and shaft operating means.

3. A machine of the character set'forth,

comprising a container, a tube communicatthe container andprovided in ing with and extending downwardly from the container and provi d in different sides thereof with slots, a rotatable shaft arranged parallel to the tube, angularly related valves extending radially from the shaft for movement into and out of said slots, means associated with the shaft for normally holding one of said valves in closed position, and

means associated with the shaft by which" it may be rotated to move said valve into opened position and to move the other valve into closed position.

4. A machine of the character set'forth', comprising a container, a tube communicating with and extending downwardly from different sides thereof with slots, one of the slots extending transversely and the other longitudinally of the tube, a member, means supporting the member for adjustment in the direction of the length of the tube, a rotatable shaft ar-- ranged parallel to the tube, angularly re lated valves extending radially from the shaft for movementinto and out of the slots,

one of the valves being connected to the member for adjustment therewith in the direction of the length of the tube, means associated withthe shaft for normally holding one of the valves in closed position, and

means associated with the shaft by which it may be rotated to move saidvalve into opened position and to move the other valve into closed position. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT KLOTZ CLAUSS. 

